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ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of subsequent years) Created at the New York State Office of Emergency Management Instructors Workshop March 28- 30, 2011

ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

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Page 1: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400(blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured

on flip chart and added upon by experiences of subsequent years)

Created at the New York State Office of Emergency Management

Instructors Workshop March 28-30, 2011

Page 2: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

Presentation Tips1-CLASS IAP: Instructors Goals:

A. Use IAP to implement orderly class organization & presentation

B. Familiarize students with a written IAP, the forms in it, and its functions

Most ICS students in New York have rarely, if ever, held a real IAP in their hands. So make the class syllabus into an IAP. One multiday IAP. One 202, one 203 and then 204’s for each day and two 214 Activity Logs for students to provide review input for first two days. The IAP is used at a minimum each morning during the first 15 minutes of class during an Operational Period briefing for each day of the class. I also use it throughout the day as a reference point for work progress. (Are we ahead or behind the class schedule of modules as planned?). On the 202 write overall objectives related to the class (Safety of all incident personnel, an overall objective of meeting each of the individual unit objectives, an objective about returning facilities to pre-incident condition and an objective to ensure completion of registration and testing materials to enable successful students to receive course certificates from NY OEM. Put a three day weather forecast in its place, and also have a general safety message which usually addresses classroom safety hazards and evacuation procedures. On the 203 identify the lead instructor as the IC. If there is a point contact for the facility identify them as the Agency Rep. Show the unit instructors as Group Supervisors in the Operations Section. The 204’s per day list the unit name/number, the Group Supervisors name (the unit instructor) and the start and ending time of the unit. Showing the classroom on the IAP as Drop Point 1 is also a good way to lead in to a discussion of the benefits of using DP’s.

Page 3: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

Presentation Tips2-OPERATIONAL PERIOD BRIEFINGS:Instructors Goals:C. Treat the class as an ICS managed incident of which an OP briefing is a

fundamental partD. In I300 we are teaching them to do OP Briefings. Why not let them see one

every day for the incident they are currently assigned to (ICS class). E. Give students chance to practice doing an OP briefing before they have to do it as

part of the big final exercise

Start off every day with an OP briefing. Post the briefing agenda on a flip chart sheet on the wall. Go through every step using both the agenda and IAP as a reference: Current situation, objectives, weather forecast for the OP using current weather pred. data, assignments for the OP, safety, logistics, finance, Information, Liaison issues, AREP if present (often the host unit has a person there in the morning, esp first morning) and IC close meeting close out message. On the third day of an I300 class for purposes of the OP briefing select students from the class to fill the “IMT roles” (or use one of the teams you have established for the work groups) and have them do the briefing and coach them as needed. Now they have some “hands on” practice before they have to do it as a part of the lesson plan and can more closely relate to the lecture about “how” the OP briefing is done.

Page 4: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

Operational Period Briefing Agenda Displayed on Flip Chart Pad sheet• Current Situation- OSC• Objectives – PSC or IC• Predictive Info / Technical Info(Weather, modeling) – PSC or

Specialist• Assignments (Ground/Air)– OSC• Safety – SOF• Logistics – LSC• Finance – FSC• Planning-PSC• Information – PIO• Liaison Information - LOF• Agency Comments - Agency Reps• Close Out - IC

Page 5: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

Presentation Tips3-STUDENT INTRODUCTIONS AND FORMING WORK TEAMS Instructor Goals:

F-Form work teams of the students that have good diversity of experience

G-Begin team building

Have students introduce themselves once they are formed into work teams for the class. Start by opening the class, welcoming the students, doing Instructor introductions. Then move into the process of breaking the students into work groups, having them re-organize the classroom into team tables, and then (once in their teams at their tables) having them do their personal introductions. Then basically go into an Operational Period briefing to give them the rest of the overall class orientation information. Laura gave us a great tip at a NYSOEM Instructor Workshop two years ago about posting signs around the room and having students go to the sign that best reflects their backgrounds. Use questions like “I have had I100/I200 but have never used ICS on a real incident”(low experience end) up to “I am a member of (or will become a member of) a local Type 3 IMT” (medium experience end), “I have served as a Command & General Staff member on multiple multi-day incidents managed under ICS” (high experience end)….. If you plan on having 4 work teams you usually wind up with one group of people standing under one of those signs that is anywhere from 3-5….. so start the 1,2,3,4 “countoff with that group and magically you have broken the class into a very diversified level of experience that is often very diversified in agency affiliation as well!As above, Idon’t have the students introduce themselves until they have been sorted into these teams. Once they count off I have them move into their team tables and get set up and then ask them to introduce themselves. When they introduce themselves I ask them to include what ICS roles they played in their past experiences—not just “I was on 911” what did you DO in ICS terms? Have the students stand when they introduce themselves (hey being overhead on a T3 incident has a lot to do with presentation skills-get them practicing!!). When people introduce themselves once they are in their teams they pay more attention to the background and skills, especially of their team members. It starts the team building process. Much more effective that just going around the room and having people intro themselves when you have no idea WHO YOU will be working with! It also gives the instructors a real good chance to size up the overall skills and backgrounds represented within each team!!!!!

Page 6: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

Presentation TipsOther General Tips Some Instructors Use

• Use ICS forms• Remember Check In is a process – don’t just put a blank ICS-211 on a

table and expect students to fill it out right. Assign a cadre member to DO check-in. Perhaps use that check-in to make class T-Cards using all the check in data

• Use T cards for class• Assign Food Unit to procure lunch• Handout or have available example IAP’s but make sure they are

GOOD IAP’s• Assign positions to work team members (IC, OSC, PSC, etc.)• This is a chance for future buy in from students to use ICS – so draw

information about students from their own introductions to use real world examples of ICS in use

Page 7: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

Presentation Tips• Pull up FEMA website on their national Kind & Type resources lists so students

can see there are actually being done and use them. Or print them out• GHOST pneumonic - Goals(Holistic) Objectives Strategies Tactics• Remember ICS is just a tool in the toolbox – 95% (if not more) of incidents are

handled during the first operational period – This course focuses on the remaining 5% (or less) of incidents that go into extended actions.

• We teach NIMS ICS. Some agencies may do things differently by agency policy (eg. US Coast Guard) and sometimes students have gotten experience and developed “habits” that are not quite correct about ICS procedures/implementation. We are here to teach the NIMS version so that can produce good productive discussions in the class

• Use the new “Planning Process” DVD that was created by EMI for the position specific courses. This video highlights each step of the Planning P process and does it very realistically.

Page 8: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

Presentation TipsUsing the Planning P (EMI) DVD & the Old “The

Planning Process for All Hazard Incidents”(NWCG) DVD• Although a good first effort the old “Planning Process for All Hazard

Incidents” (NWCG) it has some drawbacks– The example incident is a wildland fire incident– The Planning Meeting and the Operational Period Briefing both occur in the

same room and no one is there for the Operational Period Briefing other than the IMT – Where are the people being briefed? Gives the wrong impression!

• The new Planning P DVD (EMI) presents a more modern way of describing the Tactics Meeting. It portrays a less formal discusion Tactics Meeting than the tradition manner, and advocates the final completion of the 215/215A as part of the “preparing for the planning meeting” portion of the Planning P. You can explain both ways of doing it. Both work fine.

• The EMI DVD depicts a Haz Mat incident and is a very good example when used with the Crescent City Derailment incident for Units 3, 4, 5 & 6

Page 9: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

Presentation TipsUsing the New Planning P DVD & the Old “The Planning

Process for All Hazard Incidents” DVD

• Recommended DVD parts by I300 Units– Unit 3 (FEMA Unit 4) - Use EMI DVD - Show the Agency

Admin Briefing and the IAIC Briefing segments– Unit 4 (FEMA Unit 3)–Use EMI DVD – Show the UC Meeting

segment– Unit 5 (FEMA Unit 6)– Use the EMI DVD – You may want to

show the Initial Strategy and Info Sharing segment before you start any lecture in this Unit.

– Unit 6 (FEMA Unit 5)– Use the EMI DVD to show the Tactics Meeting, Preparing for the Planning Meeting, the Planning Meeting and the Operational Period Briefing segments

Page 10: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

I300 Various Tips by Unit

Unit 2 – the air crash exercise:

Generally students seem to tend to organize response to the air crash in functional branches based upon fire / rescue / police lines. It is beneficial to make sure folks have a geographic organization solution to this exercise though to discuss. About halfway thru their exercise talk to at least one group about the concept of breaking into two or three divisions each led by a division supervisor with multi-agency resources working under them – perhaps organized into task forces. The key talking points that deserve some special focus are:

Inherent geographic nature of most incidents Unity of Command (with a branch or disciplinary functional structure you

potentially have three resources standing side by side each dealing with the same issue happening right in front of them each having to answer to a different supervisor.

Span of Control – task forces to assemble multiple types and kinds of resources together and keep within span of control

Page 11: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

Always keep in mind that the exercise in Unit 3 was mostly directed at policy/guidance that IC’s use to develop objectives and at the students writing some good SMART objectives. Ideally their created objectives could carry forward for the rest of the practicals. You can assign each team of students to write an objective about 1 specific Objective topic (Safety, Geographic Confines, Major Action and Environmental, Information, Stakeholder Impacts)

It is helpful to give them a Delegation of Authority (which by the way was covered in I200 ON LINE) so they basically usually have no idea what a delegation of authority really is. You need to address it…. use of the term “contract” to describe DOA and make reference as to how it makes so much sense under NY Home Rule….. the county exec gives their IC (whether a regular employee or someone brought in) the authority to manage the incident / event with the understanding they work directly for the county exec.

Students often want to start get pretty tactical in their discussions about writing objectives during this exercise. Try to bring them back to just answering the questions posed in the practical. We have to decide on some good objectives before we can think about strategies and tactics. We are not trying to solve this problem tactically here, mostly we are looking for them to come up with 3-5 good objectives.

I300 Various Tips by UnitUnit 3(FEMA Unit 4)–Assessment and Objectives

Page 12: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

Typically I find students wanting to write objectives here that are at best strategies and often tactics….. during the lecture I try to discuss with them the top five overall objectives topics that are common on expanding incidents…… A Safety objective that covers both responders and public, an objective that describes the hoped for outer perimeter of an incident (describe the field of play), an objective that addresses the major action to be done, an objective that addresses public information and an objective that covers cost accountability or cost containment or both. I also tell them that other options for additional objectives include the topics of protection of resources (natural or cultural or economic, or all of the above) or another “major action” related objective.

This first exercise was intended for the class to develop some good objectives that can be used in the future exercises that involve strategic or tactical action for this scenario, and eventually to be the objectives written on the 202 form of their IAP done during the Unit 6 exercise. We want them to use the several of the best objectives the class developed on their own in Unit 3.

I300 Various Tips by UnitUnit 3(FEMA Unit 4) –Assessment

and Objectives

Page 13: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

I300 Various Tips by UnitUnit 4(FEMA Unit 3) –Unified Command

Great progress has been made in this area statewide, and there are less “fights in the parking lot” on the incident these days about who is to be in the UC. Recent Irene and Sandy incidents have helped folks understand ICS better.

NIMS focus’ on table tops and simulations that bring us all together before the real thing. This is the time to work through UC issues!!!!!

In the exercise brief out, let students list all the possible Unified Command entities and then vet their responses. Highlight which agencies should have Agency Reps vs. IC’s

Page 14: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

I300 Various Tips by UnitUnit 5 (FEMA Unit 6) –Resource Management

A Really Great Tip

• The examples in the lecture powerpoint use a Snow Storm incident.

• During the lecture you can use this incident progressively to demonstrate the processes of ICS planning:– Write Objectives for the Storm– Discuss Operations organization (Groups / Divisions)– Use 215 / 215A to develop work assignments and resources

needed– Produce a ICS 204 Assignment List for the Parking Lot Group

(this is a good use of a wall sized mounted 204 you can write on)

Page 15: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

I300 Various Tips by UnitUnit 5(FEMA Unit 6) –Incident Resource

ManagementEmphasize that early portions of this unit are reinforcing fundamentals….. single resources, strike teams, task forces, divisions vs groups etc. Span of control issues…… We want them during the lecture to recognize how these tools fit together.

Take the “mystery” out of the ICS215 / 215A start by describing them simply as spreadsheets…. They are just columns and rows and if you treat them sequentially it works pretty easy. Emphasize the left column being done first (Division or Group or other Location) then moving into filling out the work assignments…. What will be done in this geographic area or functional role. Include enough words that describe the actions to be taken…. Not just very general or single word bullets.

During the lecture we gather all the class around one set of 215/215A and a map of a generic town and go through the process of doing the 215’s for the Winter Storm example in the book.

At the end of the unit have them complete a 215/215A using the my more modernized and complete ICS 201 for CC Hazmat… prepared by IAIC Ralph Wilkens at 0920. Just put on the 215 what must Wilkens must have planned to make the assignments that he did.

The better job they do on the 215 exercise the better the rest of the course exercises will go.

Page 16: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

I300 Various Tips by UnitUnit 6 (FEMA Unit 5) – The Planning Process• If students have developed good objectives for the Crescent City incident in Unit 3

you should use them as the objectives for this exercise. Make sure you brief students on this so they don’t start the exercise confused. Not a bad idea to consolidate the best 3-5 objectives the groups have created and give them to them to use (the objectives in the textbook for this exercise are NOT SMART!!! and really suck!)

• Unless you have students who have a lot of experience in using written IAP’s they are really going to get confused if you try to expand the incident during this exercise. A good option is the following:

– In Unit 5 they had a Tactics Meeting and developed a ICS 215/215A for the initial action phase of this incident. You may give them a little more information or resources to add to the ICS 215 they already built and just have them continue on in the Planning P and produce an IAP for those resources.

– After they prepare an IAP have them present an Operational Period Briefing using their IAP. If you can make multiple copies it is great. But make sure they brief using their IAP following the Operational Period Briefing agenda that is posted on the wall.

Page 17: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

I300 Various Tips by UnitUnit 7 – Transition & Close Out

• We know the class is winding down, but don’t be tempted to just blow this unit off!• The idea in the mind of the curriculum cadre that re-worked this current version was that students would

have the experience of bringing the entire ICS process into expanded incident status and then “winding it back down” as the incident scales down. And that is why it is placed AFTER the big planning process practical.

• At the very least ensure students understand the five components of a Demobilization Plan (test question)• The concept of priorities as part of demob addresses priorities for release of resources from the incident

during the active management or during the winding down portion…. Eg. Are local first responders the priority to release so they can return to normal first response duties? Are there contract issues that dictate who gets released first or last?

• Remember to discuss that if actions are continuing another IMT may just be starting back on the stem of the Planning P and getting ready to transfer command with you!

• If the incident is closing out there are things that have to be done…. Transfer of documents to responsible agency, continued needs for contract management, rehabilitation needs that need to be identified, etc.

Page 18: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

I400 Various Tips by UnitUnit 2 – Review Unit

• Unit 2 of 400 is intended as a review, but a review of higher level issues than just the basic ICS structure.

• The concept in development of Unit 2 was that the students instruct themselves instead of another “powerpoint lecture”. Given that the students must come up with the correct answers to their questions. Ensure they are using the wealth of reference materials in their student workbook when they are formulating those answers.

• Since this is the only instruction they get in this unit (from each other) it is critical that instructors correct any wrong or incomplete information they give when they report out. If you as an instructor just “let it slide” then the other students assume it is absolutely correct.

Page 19: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

I400 Various Tips by UnitUnit 3 – Major Incident Management

• It is important for students to understand these are methods for really huge incident management. By and large these techniques are not adopted for Type 4 and Type 3 incidents they may be more familiar with.

• During the practical it is recommended that each team of students be directed to use one of the techniques described in the lecture. One team keeps the 3 incidents independent, one team does a complex, one team does branch tactical planning and one team does management by establishing two operations sections. The fact is the incidents given in the book are not complex enough to even use these techniques other than choosing to manage these 3 type 3 incidents under a “complex”.

• By having them use all four methods you can lead the discussions during the brief outs to compare each method for differences…. Eg. Keeping them all as separate incidents requires 3 separate, complete IAP’s, requires 3 IMT’s to be staffed and going through the whole Planning P process, makes sharing of critical resources more cumbersome….

Page 20: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

I400 Various Tips by UnitUnit 4 – Area Command

• I have added some pictures and information to my lecture on this subject that stress the incident management perspective of Area Command vs. an on scene IC, and some pictures of an Area Command team (7 people) taken off the internet. It helps give perspective to the students that this is something used for an incident like Hurricane Katrina not your routine Type 3 incidents.

• This unit is a really good segway into the MACC Group unit to follow. If you clearly show the difference between Area Command (with Delegation of Authority and Command responsibility) vs. MACC functions of external support and policy direction vs. actual command, the next unit is easy.

• Best example of an Area Command need for the future in New York State…. Well, just use what is already out there in real life. Probably the most likely Area Command scenario in NY is for a Cat 4 hurricane to cross Long Island, continue up the Connecticut River valley and even impact the Hudson Valley with torrential rains and flooding. FEMA would likely respond in the same manner in which they responded to Katrina. That is why I use some Katrina graphics in my additions to the lecture slides.

• The new FEMA curriculum for Unit 4 has some very good improvements to the slides as well as good examples of “community based” Area Command utilization.

Page 21: ICS Instruction Tips and Tricks ICS 300 & 400 (blend of workshop handouts and workshop comments captured on flip chart and added upon by experiences of

I400 Various Tips by UnitUnit 5 – Multi Agency Coordination

• Biggest thing here is to reinforce the concept that the MAC entity and its associated EOC are NOT COMMAND but are there to provide policy guidance, delegate authority to on-scene commanders if needed, and provide support (a single point resource ordering dispatch) and information and coordination to the incidents under their umbrella. The MACC may have to prioritize available resources (in absence of Area Command) to the incidents under their umbrella.

• You might identify how many EOC’s nationwide are starting to rename themselves as “coordination centers” to help reduce confusion about terminology and role of EOC’s